They say that love has no age, but there is still an appropriate age to start orthodontic treatment. The use of dental braces and other appliances is often associated with adolescence, with adolescents making up the largest category of orthodontic patients. However, orthodontic specialists or any other dentist says that the age of 7 is the most appropriate for the child’s first orthodontic control, in case that orthodontic monitoring and treatment is needed.
Although some orthodontic appliances can also be applied to mature people, it is clear that the malleability of an early age increases the success rate and the speed with which the optimal results are obtained. Most dentists still consider the age of 7 is the most appropriate age for further orthodontic treatment.
At this age, deciduous teeth, commonly known as milk teeth, are already beginning to fall. And the doctor can track how new teeth will erupt, the space between them, their position. It is the age at which serious orthodontic problems cannot occur, but at which minor or medium problems can be detected, identified and solved. That said, early orthodontic treatment is the solution that relieves patients of problems at maturity because the purpose of early treatment is to monitor the correct and aesthetic growth of the teeth.
What problems can be monitored through an early orthodontic treatment
It is obvious that when the dentist observes certain deficiencies or negative habits of the child, he or she will prescribe the treatment necessary to correct them. Being controlled from an early age, problems will be minimized, resulting in healthy teeth in adolescence and maturity, without the cost of dental implants or extractions. These include:- Thumb sucking – considered vicious after the age of 2, as it affects not only the position of the teeth but also the pronunciation, the speech if it is continued after the age of 4 years;
- tooth loss too early or too late;
- speech defects: heavy articulation, inappropriate speech, stuttering;
- malocclusions, teeth that do not bite properly;
- clogged teeth or a large gap between them.
Actions that are taken
Diseases or habits with a negative impact on the teeth are treated at this age without the procedures performed on grown-ups: teeth extraction, implants; but is limited to simple procedures. In some cases, the doctor may decide to use dental braces. For children of this age, it is recommended to use mobile devices, as the teeth are not fully formed, but growing and renewing.The effects of early orthodontic treatment
Early orthodontic treatment performed and monitored by an experienced dentist prevents a lot of dental diseases, such as gingivitis and caries (especially hidden ones). Some of its effects not only save you money and time but also emotional energy, the teeth ceasing to be a source of personal complexes.- Improves facial expression;
- develops the correct speaking, pronunciation of words;
- develops the correct nasal breathing;
- develops beautiful and healthy teeth;
- leads to the cessation of negative habits, such as thumb sucking;
- maintains the optimal distance between teeth;
- guides jaw growth;
- saves on expenses.